Homeowners throng for foreclosure help

Agencies offer tips on weathering the times

Montgomery County code inspector Julia Thom reviews a foreclosed property in Montgomery Village last year.

One hundred homeowners sought the help of housing counselors and lawyers at a foreclosure seminar hosted by U.S. Rep. Donna F. Edwards at Montgomery College-Germantown last week.

As the economic crisis continues to deepen and mortgage foreclosures around the country continue to climb, upcounty homeowners described dreams of homeownership gone sour to government officials and representatives from nonprofit agencies and financial institutions.

Many cited a failing economy, predatory lending practices, bad luck and uninformed decisions among the factors that left them with financial commitments they could not meet.

"Sickness, medical issues, loss of income, a higher adjustable rate mortgage got us where we're at," Juliana Anane of Silver Spring said of her family.

"There's a lot of greed in this country, but there aren't supposed to be free lunches and the banks are getting bailed out," said John DeReggi of Boyds. "They shouldn't be allowed to oppress us the way they do."

The adjustable-rate mortgage she and her husband signed five years ago on their three-bedroom townhouse recently increased from 6 percent to 9.25 percent, Anane said.

In the meantime, two heart attacks forced her husband to leave his job, she said. Her job as a secretary at a hospital remains solid, but it isn't enough to meet the higher mortgage payments. Anane was hard on herself and the lender when asked whether she knew at the time of purchase that the mortgage contained a provision for much higher payments in the future.

"We don't read," she said, referring to the lending documents. "And they don't tell you and then you get yourself into it."

The upcounty, including Germantown, Gaithersburg, Boyds, Dickerson, Clarksburg and Damascus, recorded 3,327 foreclosure actions from Jan. 1, 2007 through Sept. 30, 2008, according to data from the county's Department of Housing and Community Affairs. Foreclosure actions were defined as notices of default, notices of sale and actual purchases by a lending institution.

Government agencies and lending institutions offer opportunities to renegotiate payment schedules. But several representatives from government and nonprofit housing agencies warned bluntly their efforts were no match for the troubles many homeowners face.

Manny Hidalgo of the Latino Economic Development Corporation said a smooth "exit strategy" from homeownership was all that could be offered to those don't have the income to meet even the most favorable loan agreements.

"A lot of you simply are going to have to leave your house," Hidalgo told about 15 people assembled to hear a panel discussion. "That may be all that's doable."

State and local government officials said a state hotline created to aid struggling homeowners last year helped about 12,000 people either remain in or sell their homes without harming themselves financially.

Richard Y. Nelson Jr., director of the county's Department of Housing and Community Affairs, said 50 to 60 percent of those who have fallen behind on mortgage payments won't keep their homes. Those who stand the best chance at staying in their homes have an income equal to or higher than when they signed their mortgages and whose home values are greater than their mortgages.

"You have to be realistic when dealing with the lender. They want their money," said Kelly Vaughn of the state Department of Housing and Community Development.